世界之美就在台灣 (國家公園季刊 National Park )

您可以想像嗎？17世紀的台南還是一片波瀾壯闊的海景。普羅民遮城（即赤嵌樓）前即是煙波裊裊、白浪滔滔的台江內海，與荷蘭人建造的熱蘭遮城（即安平古堡­）隔著台江內海遙遙相對，與「鎮北門晚眺」詩中那「煙籠竹樹樓沙洲，夕照橫波海氣浮」的意境相呼應。1661年，鄭成功在從古航道鹿耳門登陸台灣後，開啟了台灣開發史的新頁，亦在台南縣市留下珍貴的歷史人文足跡。

亙古的歷史　　新生的大地 

　　稱之為「台江內海」的西南部沿海的潟湖，自清代中葉以後，潟湖逐漸陸化成沙洲，逐漸與陸地連為一氣，想追尋台江內海曾存在的印記，目前僅剩四草湖、鯤鯓湖等遺跡，這大片濕地不僅成為台灣歷史的見證，更是重要生物棲息區。

   雖然從車水馬龍的台南縣市現狀，體會不出當年商船川流不息的繁盛，不過，從古地名仍可以窺探出蛛絲馬跡：永康市古時稱洲仔尾，加上居民引台江海水以曬鹽為業，因此也有「鹽行」之稱；而永康市旁的新市鄉，即現在南科的所在地，古時稱為新港，是台江內海的港口。

　　滄海桑田，台江是這句成語的最佳見證。

海上到陸上，從漁鹽業進展至工商業，在這塊新生的沃土上，人們的發展不曾停歇，但那為豐美水草、肥美魚兒而來的候鳥、深藏紅樹林間的水道祕境、鹽田裡晶瑩雪白的鹽花，以及黑水溝那深邃神秘的引力……這屬於台江的獨特風貌，不該隨著時代巨輪而逐漸消逝……〈未完待續〉

Imagine that Taijiang Inland Sea was once between Provintia (now called Chihkan Tower) and Zeelandia（Anping Fort）and had these two colonial buildings facing each other across the water in the 17th century. Ever since Zheng Chenggong landed at Lermen in Taiwan in 1661, the history of Taiwan’s development turned a new page. Valuable historical tracks preserve that development now in Tainan.

A Lasting History and a “Newborn” Land

The so-called “Taijiang Inland Sea” was a lagoon on the southwest coast. Since mid Ching Dynasty, the lagoon had gradually transformed into a sandbank and connected to the land. Now, people can only trace the existence of the Taijiang Inland Sea in the historical remains of Sihcao Lake and Kunshen Lake. The wetland is not only evidence of Taiwan’s history, but also an important wildlife habitat.

Today, one can hardly picture that Tainan was once a prosperous port; however, names of ancient cities still show the traces of such history; for example, Zhozaiwei (the end of a sandbank) and Yanhang (salt industry) were names for what has become Yongkang City. New Port (a port for Tai-Chiang) is now called Shinshr Township.

The saying “Time brings great changes to the world” best describes the way Taijiang evolved.

Though the development has never stopped on this newborn land, the migrant birds, hidden channels in the deep mangrove, the crystal salt in the salt field, and the mysterious Hei Shueigou should not disappear over time.

(更多精彩內容請見2009年12月號國家公園季刊)